US10255751B2

Electronic gaming device with bonus game extended reel functionality

Summary by NHIP

Extended Reel Bonus Gaming Device

The electronic gaming device displays active and inactive symbol locations during a base game spin. When a second chance event triggers, the processor converts at least one inactive location into an active second chance event location to evaluate for a bonus event.

Claim Score by NHIP

Read claim 10, the broadest

Abstract

Examples disclosed herein relate to a gaming device including a memory, a processor, a plurality of reels, and a display. The display includes active areas and inactive areas where the active areas are utilized for payout determinations and bonus game initiation determinations and where the inactive areas are not utilized for payout determinations and bonus game initiation determinations. The processor may initiate a base game play, a bonus game, and a secondary base game. The base game play may include a spin to display at least a portion of the plurality of reels in the base reel active areas and expanded reel active areas. The processor may initiate a bonus game utilizing the base reel active areas and the expanded reel active area.

US10255751B2, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 76

Term

10.4 yearsleft in the term

Expires 14 February 2037, including 571 days of term adjustment.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Granted
  4. Today
  5. Expires

16 claims: 2 independent, 14 dependent

  1. 1
    An electronic gaming device comprising:a memory;at least one wager accepting device configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value to increase a credit balance at the electronic gaming device;a display;a plurality of reels that are at least partially viewable on the display;and a processor configured to execute machine readable instruction stored on the memory to cause the electronic gaming device to initiate a base game comprising the display of active symbol locations and inactive symbol locations, the base game including a spin where the spin moves the plurality of reels and stops a movement of the plurality of reels to display symbols in at least one of the active symbol locations, after the spin, evaluate whether a second chance event has been triggered, wherein said inactive symbol locations are not utilized to determine if the second chance event has been triggered or for any base game payout determination, when the second chance event has been triggered, convert at least a first of said inactive symbol locations to a second chance event active symbol location and evaluate symbols displayed in said active symbol locations and each second chance event active symbol location for whether a bonus event has been triggered, when the bonus event has been triggered, initiate at least one bonus game comprising the display of the active symbol locations and the converted second chance event active symbol locations, the bonus event including a bonus spin where the bonus spin moves the plurality of reels and stops a movement of the plurality of reels to display symbols in at least one of the active symbol locations and the second chance event active symbol locations, and award a payout for a base game winning outcome and a bonus event winning outcome by increasing said credit balance.
  2. 10
    Broadest claimClaim Score 26, narrow(NHIP)A method of providing gaming options via an electronic gaming device comprising:accepting, via at least one wager accepting device configured to accept a physical item associated with a monetary value and increasing a credit balance associated with said electronic gaming device;determining via one or more processors one or more wagers placed from said credit balance relating to one or more game plays;initiating a base game, the base game comprising the displaying of active symbol locations and inactive symbol locations and comprising a spin where the spin moves a plurality of reels and stops a movement of the plurality of reels to display symbols in at least one of the active symbol locations, after the spin, evaluating whether a second chance event has been triggered, wherein said inactive symbol locations are not utilized to determine if the second chance event has been triggered or for any base game payout determination;when the second chance event has been triggered, converting at least a first of said inactive symbol locations to a second chance event active symbol location and evaluating symbols displayed in said active symbol locations and each second chance event active symbol location for a whether a bonus event has been triggered;when the bonus event has been triggered, initiating at least one bonus game comprising the display of the active symbol locations and the converted second chance event active symbol locations, the bonus event including a bonus spin where the bonus spin moves the plurality of reels and stops a movement of the plurality of reels to display symbols in at least one of the active symbol locations and the second chance event active symbol locations;and awarding a payout for a base gaming winning outcome and a bonus event winning outcome by increasing said credit balance.